35-ton Thrust Russian Engine for Russia-China Joint Wide-body Airliner

Russian Il-96 airliner as basis for China-Russia jointly developed wide-body airliner, which is quite reliable as Putin’s presidential aircraft, but it uses 4 engines with low fuel efficiency

Russia Today website says in its report that Russian Deputy Chairman for Defense Industries Dmitry Rogozin told reporter on June 20 that Russia has begun development of a powerful engine with 35 tons (343 KN) thrust for the large long-range wide-body airliner that Russia and China are jointly developing.

The engine will be the most powerful in the world, more powerful than that used on Boeing 787-10 with 340 KN thrust. Russia will be in charge of building the engines while China, the body of the airliner. Russia will build an engine plant for the airliner while the airliner will be assembled in China.

The airliner will be developed on the basis of Russia’s Il-96 airliner, which is quite reliable as it is used as Putin’s presidential aircraft. However, Il-96 is much smaller than the airliner that Russia and China have been jointly developing. It uses 4 engines while the airliner will only use two engines with much higher fuel efficiency.

The airliner will have 250-280 seats and a range of 12,000 km. It is expected to sell at the price of US$200 to 260 million. Production of first prototype will be completed in 2023 while sales will begin in 2025.

As it can stay in air for a long time and has plenty space inside, it will be an ideal platform for new generation of AEW&C aircraft. Other major military use of the large aircraft using the engines will be aerial tanker. It is expected that there will be a wide range of use of the engine in warplanes.

Source: war.163.com “Russian Vice Chairman: An engine with 35-ton thrust is being developed for China-Russian jointly developed large airliner” (summary by Chan Kai Yee based on the report in Chinese)

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